GCI will prioritize the neighborhoods to get the new 1 gig service, based on the number of homes that have expressed interest…Recruit your neighbors. Tell them to get fibered. The neighborhood with the most applicants will win the race to get fibered.

The 200 Mbps service costs $185 per month, with a $10 discount if you buy cable TV service too. That comes with a monthly 500 GB cap and a $1 charge for every extra GB (50¢ if you’re a TV subscriber). Its low-end service – 10 Mbps for $50 – is capped at 10 GB with a whopping $10 per GB over that ($5 for TV subs, also with a $10 discount).

Part of the problem is that connections to the core of the Internet have to go via one of four submarine cables, of which GCI owns two. Even with competitive options, it’s expensive to connect back to Seattle and Portland. A muni system in Ketchikan – which competes with GCI and uses its fiber for backhaul – charges $5 a GB for going over caps, which range from 30 to 200 GB at $25 to $150 a month depending on the plan (although it also offers discounts and “unlimited” options for TV subscribers).